In which there is too much good stuff out there to choose just one topic for a post. Each of the items on my list today is a two-fer, so get ready:
1. First things first. Two fantastic links on prayer: Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington offers insight on how to be honest and find freedom in prayer when the experience of prayer is frustrating, hard, upsetting, even painful; then, Kathleen Beckman at Catholic Exchange shares a prayer of protection against demons and all other evils that can be prayed by laypeople.
2. A double home run by the wise and witty Simcha Fisher of the National Catholic Register: What’s wrong with ‘message art’ and the latest installment in her new and fabulous Artist of the Month series, in which she profiles a Catholic artist doing authentic work and living the faith. Do read them all if you have time. The most recently posted artist is Neilson Carlin for October, which means November’s artist is yet to be revealed. Exciting!
3. Over at Catholic Household, see Steven Drummel’s investigation of whether Chesterton’s nearly lifelong health and weight problems indicated a lack of temperance that could block his cause for canonization, and Dale Ahlquist’s fiery response. While the latter contains a bit of unfortunate ad hominem rhetoric at Drummel’s expense, it seems otherwise substantively correct. Obesity isn’t always caused by overindulgence, but instead is affected by hormones and microbiome in ways that scientists still don’t fully understand. And while the cause obviously has to take any legitimate questions about a candidate’s moderation seriously, still we’d hate to see one of our favorite authors kept off the altars on account of such.
4. “To restore all things in Christ”: Crisis magazine features formerly modernized churches renovated with beautiful art, and the Latin Mass finds an unexpected ally.
5. This has no twin, but it’s too lovely not to share as we approach Advent: this cover of “Mary Did You Know” that’s been making the rounds.
Happy weekend before Thanksgiving to you all!
[post image: “gratitude tag” by Eugene Kim, via Flickr Creative Commons]
When will the first issue of my print subscription be mailed out.
Dear William: please address your question to sales [at] newhope-ky.org. They’ll be able to tell you which is the first issue you’re scheduled to receive depending on when you purchased the subscription.
Katy, as usual wonderful links. The one I would disagree with is Simcha’s choice for artist. Some of the images are good, but others a tad too sentimentalized or cheesy or something. I find that portrait of Jesus almost disturbing (not in a good way). Looks like a cover for a romance novel. Excellent technique, of course but often not used in the way it ought to be.
I find the whole Chesterton/temperance discussion very interesting and worthwhile raising. I don’t think it’s something worth taking offense over, as somebody kind of *does* have to raise that issue if he’s going to be canonized.